“I think we all knew what was coming,” Grant said. “I don’t know whether we knew that it was going to be as bad as it was.”

At a news conference Monday, Parkinson announced a plan to reduce state spending by $259 million in the budget year that ends June 30, in large part to deal with state revenues that continue to fall below estimates. Two of the biggest cuts come from axing $50 million in highway maintenance projects and a combined $38 million for K-12 and higher education.

“I don’t know what else you can do,” said Rep. Julie Menghini, D-Pittsburg. “Are any of these cuts wise? Do we have a choice? I really don’t know.”

Pittsburg USD 250 and Southeast USD 247 were hit the hardest of local school districts. Pittsburg will lose close to $274,000, with Southeast set to drop $231,000.

The cuts to Pittsburg State University don’t appear to be as substantial. While exact amounts won’t be available until next week, university officials estimate that PSU’s cuts will likely be somewhere in the neighborhood of the $100,000 figure that Fort Hays State is estimating.

“We don’t really have a specific amount that we will be cut. It does appear to be down compared to other cuts we’ve had lately. This amount is not as severe as the previous ones we’ve had,” said Ron Womble, PSU public relations director.

PSU has already been cut $4 million this year. PSU will hold budget meetings on Dec. 3 at 10:30 a.m. in 107 Grubbs Hall, and again at 3:30 p.m. in 409 Russ Hall to address the amount.

Meanwhile, the Kansas Department of Transportation said its budget cuts would cost the state jobs and impact the quality of the state’s highway system.

KDOT will transfer $50 million from the State Highway Fund to the State General Fund to address the state’s financial crisis. Transportation Secretary Deb Miller said the transfer would result in the elimination of highway preservation projects, such as resurfacings, and important equipment purchases.

The Substantial Maintenance program, designed to protect the state’s highway investment, will be reduced by $50 million. But because those projects are paid out over more than one year, that reduction will only save $25 million this year. KDOT also will reduce planned equipment purchases, including dump trucks, tractors and mowers, by 50 percent; halt several studies; and indefinitely suspend the purchase of equipment for a Wichita traffic management project.

“Cutting projects will impact jobs, not only of contractors but of suppliers. It will also eliminate the spin-off spending that happens in communities during construction,” Miller said. “We’re going to do a lot fewer maintenance jobs and that will result in rougher roads and more vehicle maintenance.”

A list of projects that will be done this year, and those that have been canceled, is under development and will be posted when completed on KDOT’s Web site, www.ksdot.org, under “Recent News Releases.”

Grant said he thought social services would also likely sustain a sizable hit, potentially growing the already filling waiting lists.

“We have to come up with some sort of revenue, or you’re looking at even more cuts in 2011,” Grant said.

Grant said Menghini had the right ideas on revenue generation, from passing gaming legislation that would allow tracks to reopen while lessening the threshold for a casino in the Southeast Gaming Zone that includes Crawford and Cherokee counties.

“If revenues don’t get better, I really don’t see how you can cut any more,” Menghini said. “If we could get changes to the statute that make it more attractive for tracks to open, you could see them open within three to six months.”

Meanwhile, Menghini added that Tuesday’s announcement that a casino application for the SE Gaming Zone was rejected gave her thoughts “a little more force heading into the session.”

All three local legislators said they thought Parkinson did a strong job of spreading out his cuts, and Sen. Bob Marshall, R-Fort Scott, lauded him for his proactive budget suggestions.

“I’m pleased that the governor has taken those steps to balance the budget, without waiting for the legislature,” Marshall said. “It’s a credit to the governor that he has done that.”

Kevin Flaherty can be reached at kevin.flaherty@morningsun.net. Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net.

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